Football | 11/7/2024 11:52:00 PM
Though playoff aspirations were extinguished, the Clinton High School football team left Arrow Field with some pride on Thursday night.
A season full of ups and downs, exhilarating games and memorable plays, the Arrows, who finished their season with an overall record of 4-6, shocked many outsiders with their grit and determination on the gridiron the past few months.
"I told them at the end, 'don't dare walk out of here with your head hung'," Clinton Head Football Coach John Carr said. "I asked them to put a smile on their face and bring that chin up and look people in the eye and be excited about what they were able to accomplish because they did some special things."
Unfortunately, it was Madison Central's night on the scoreboard as Glen Singleton rushed for five touchdowns, and the Jaguars pulled away in the second half for a 49-39 win over Clinton. The Arrows (4-6, 1-3 Region 2-7A) were the odd team out in a three-way tie in the Region 2-7A standings of Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) football, ending their season without a playoff appearance.
"We battled and fought, clawed our way to making this game matter a whole lot," Carr said. "It stings (to lose) because you invested so much, and you've seen the players and coaches invest so much. But I am super proud of this group of guys."
Singleton scored three of his five touchdowns in the second half, and a fumble recovery in the end zone on a mishandled punt gave Madison Central a 49-26 lead with 8:53 left in the game. Yet, like several times in the 2024 seasons, the Arrows attempted a frenetic comeback when
Josef Walker connected with
Jaydann Hollins for a 25-yard touchdown, and then Walker, the junior quarterback, found Hollins, again, for a 72-yard strike, cutting the Jaguars lead to 49-39 with four minutes, 14 seconds remaining.
With the game within two possessions, the Arrows were unable to recover their onside-kick attempt. However, the defense stood tall and wrestled possession back from Madison Central when the unit stopped the visitors' fourth-down-conversion attempt at the 3:05 mark. Clinton's final possession, a nine-play drive, stalled at its 39-yard line when Walker's pass intended for
Erich Johnson fell incomplete on fourth down.
Madison Central rushed out to a two-touchdown lead in the first half, but the Arrows had an answer before the intermission.
Walker, who was 22-of-39 passing for 328 yards and five touchdowns, got Clinton on the board with his 33-yard pass to Hollins at the second quarter's 4:32 mark.
Braylon Spann added the first of four extra-point kicks.Â
Clinton added a blocked punt that sailed through the air and out of the back of the end zone for a safety, and Spann nailed a 31-yard field goal to cut Madison Central's lead to 14-12 by halftime.
THE STATS
Clinton's offense out gained Madison Central 438-374, including a blistering 364 through the air.
Jakobe Williams rushed 14 times for 84 yards in his final game for the red and black. Hollins led the receiving corp with eight catches for 207 yards, collecting four of the five scoring receptions.
Phillip Burchfield added his second touchdown of the season when the senior muscled his way into the end zone on a 6-yard reception that opened the Arrows' second-half account.
Jaiden Jefferson led Clinton's defense, tallying nine tackles.
Trevis Coley had five tackles.
James Farr and
Lazivan Tinner had three tackles each.
Donovan Shaffer, Farr, Jefferson, and Tinner had one tackle for loss, respectively.
Senior linebacker
Chad Holiday had a fumble recovery in the first half.
CLASS OF 2025
The Arrows graduate 29 senior football players and five managers after this season.
"When you have so many seniors and you through a lot of things, you see the disappoint after a game like tonight because they had experienced the ups and downs," Carr said. "I told them, 'you're gonna learn some valuable lessons that just sticking things out and going through life.' It is why football is such a special game at this age. I'm proud of this senior class. I am proud of their efforts."
Those seniors are:
